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i @uiten tats atnt @Hita GEORGE A. KEENE, OF NEWBURYPORT, MASSACHUSETTS.

Letters Patent No. 67,437, dated August 6, 186T.

IMPROVED FEATHERING PADDLE-,WHEEL TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Bc it known that I, GORGE AUGUSTUS KEENE,*0` Newburyport, in the county of Essex, and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and u'sef'ulv Improvement in Fcathering laddle-lvheels; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description'oi the construe-tion and operation of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification.

The nature of my improvement in feathering paddle-wheels is in -the application of an independent selffeathering {ioat or bucket instead of the ordinary float. It consists in arranging across the radial arms of a paddle-wheel two horizontal bars atthe usual place of attaching o'r adjusting the floats, and pivoting, at about the centre of these bars, aiioat having sides or 'wings unequal in area and weight, and so arranging a stop as to allow a reciprocating rotary motion of the ioatupon its pivots of somewhat more than a quadrant, and less than two quadrants.

The construction andoperation of this is as follows, referring to the drawing: Thewheel is supposed to be revolving in the direction of the arrows. A* A2 A3 AL are the floats pivoted at botocross-bars D and YE, between the radii F and G of the wheel; L is a stop, arranged so as to prevent more than thedesired revolution of the feathering oats A1 A2 A3 and A4. Let us suppose iloat A1 is just entering the water, its broader wing advanced, the unequal pressure exerted upon its two wings in consequenceof their different area, will cause it slowly to rotate on its pivots as it passes through, becoming, when thoroughly immersed, parallel or nearly parallel to the radii of the wheel, as at A2, and when it passes out; having its lesser Wing advanced, as at A3, thus feathering. O n revolving past the vertex of the wheel it begins to descend, and the preponderanceot weight in the side of greatest area causes a reciprocating rotation on the pivots, and brings the lioat again t'o the posi'- Ition of A1. The stop should possess somelasticity, so that nothing may be broken.

lhisimprovcment may be readily applied to au old wheel by taking out the common floats and inserting cross'bars D and E. AIt will also be observed that reversal of lncton4 produces just the saine action; The oat's always feather. I

I do not claim as new the application of swivelled oats of unequal area in their wings, connected inrpairs set at right angles, and operating each other; but I do claim as my invention, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent of the United Statesl. rlhe arrangement, in a paddle-wheel of independent floats, having each. one Wing preponderating in area. and weight, pivotcd to cross-bars D and E, so as to allow a reciprocating rotary motionV through a limited arc, substantially as and for the purpose described. I

-2. And the further arrangement of stop It in connection with floats having such a preponderating side, and pivoted to cross-bars D and E, substantially as described, and for the purpose of limiting such reciprocating rotary motion.

GEO. A. KEENE.

Witnesses:

Taos. WM. CLARKE, DWIGHT B. RICH.l 

